Hector was the best

I will quote @Gee SCREAMER !! from a few weeks back - Hourihane is stealing a living in this team. Absolutely stealing one.... For a player that was supposed to be our linchpin he has been woeful in all but two or three games. Sibley is still living off that Milwall hat-trick (if ever there was an example of lucking out that was it, I'd be surprised if he scores three more goals in the rest of his career) and Bird just seems to get muscled off the ball too easily. Some say Bird gets himself about but that is for naught if you can't control and distribute the ball when you win it back.
To not score against either Lincoln or Reading and to not even have a shot on goal when a win would have taken us top shows just how poor this side actually is. And while we can point blame at Hourihane, Bird and Sibley it is also true that time and again, it's the summer signings that have been the undoing of us, there is simply no quality in nearly all of what was brought in. Nothing to even suggest we can change a game when things aren't going our way. Ward, Bradley, Washington etc. have just been bang average. Nelson, Elder, Nyambe, Wilson have replaced what was there before (Davies, Roberts etc) but besides that this team is not better than the one of loans and favours we cobbled together last season.
As for Warne, I'm not sure you can blame him as much for the footballing ideas and general intent but if you don't have bite in the centre of the park you can shout and wail all you want to get it out wide. Not much point though if you can't keep the ball for more than ten seconds or find a man in space when you do.
What I will say is that tactically Warne doesn't seem to do his homework - mate of mine is a Reading fan, tells me before the game that Azeez is the main threat. So what happens, we let him run free for the first half before we work it out? Surely someone, somewhere watched a video and had a think about what they were going up against?
Depressingly poor performance against a team that we should have cantered to a win against.

Plain & simple, Bird isnt good enough.
We need another centre midfielder for sure, maybe even 2. 

Said weeks ago we needed a holding midfielder, teams run straight through our midfield , bird & Houllane couldn't takle a balloon.  Rubbish at Lincoln and rubbish tonight. 

The team are not coached to have any control. Another midfielder will not help if Warne continues to employ the tactics he wants us to play football.
I say football. It’s pinball. Players must be being encouraged to move it as forward as quickly as possible, taking no more than 3 touches. Chaotic, gas out type football.
I thought we might go up with our squad automatically, even with him in charge. I am beginning to think not.

I know he didnt sign them all but when PW talks about needing to sign players with the right character - what does he mean exactly? As it doesnt seem to be strength and a winning mentality.

I am just so fed up. There are just so many depressing questions about tonight, I dont know where to start really but as a starter what is going on with Wildsmith? 

Bird is ordinary 

Midfield is struggling tonight, only Thompson with any credit, bird and hourihane giving the ball away needlessly 

Top spot there for the taking and we turn in a first half where we look half cut.
No one can be happy with that  Thompson and Bird...maybe Wilson will feel they have been OK.
Barks has touched it about 3 times all half. Collins has done nothing.  Hourihane has been very poor.
Definitely needs changes......

If I played like our players have first half, I’d be ashamed to call myself a professional footballer. Absolutely disgusting performance, from a group of players who have the chance to go top - but simply don’t seem to want it as much as Reading!

Well that was absolute dross

Be nice if our midfield fancies turning up. 

I'm gonna say it. Hourihane just isn't as good a passer as his reputation suggests.

I was about to say the same.
He looks a completely different player to what I've seen.

Silver lining, Elder is looking more assured at the moment 

Berkhuisen is appalling. Please take him off. Only Elder and Thompson doing ok.

Burton had 2 shots on goal and scored twice. Both were bad mistakes. NML lost possession in a dangerous area and their lad scores when 9 times out of 10 he probably wouldn't and as for the second, what on earth was Elder doing? He had a terrible game and made a complete mess of marking the last man. Having said that the ball out from the back was inch perfect for their sub to run onto. Again doubt that pass would be that good at this level 9 times out of 10. 
 

That header from Collins by the way. Branko strupar power 

If that was his best game for a while he will never be anything more than a league 1 footballer. What did he do. Houihane won us the game what did Bird do? Hourihane is past it but still won the game for us. Bird should be doing more than a player who is past it.

I agree but disagree with the last bit, i dont think he is a 7 most weeks. I think if derby signed him and didnt come through the adacamy people wouldnt give him such high ratings. I think he needs to man up and be stronger if he grow a pair and put in tackles, didnt shy out and didnt go missing in so many games there would be alot of teams in for him. He is only a championship player at best he will never make it in the prem 

This is exactly how we saw it, his name was mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the game around me positively.
Mine as well, don't get the negative comments on him last night, scored one, directly created the 2nd and was instrumental in keeping the ball alive for the 3rd goal. One of the few players available for receiving the ball when in possession and defensively more aware than NML ever will be.
Biggest issue we had in possession last night was that we played tha game in 1st gear, occasionally into 2nd, moving the ball too slow for long periods which allowed Burton to be organised and solid, which in turn drags our defence too far up the pitch to be involved in trying to create options, which leaves us vulnerable for the break, as per their equaliser.... moving it quicker, breaking the lines gets the best out of Barks, and NML for that matter, as per the opening goal.

Max Bird gives another masterclass as a passenger. He has one good game followed by 6 or 7 awful performances. 

This team desperately needs a CM enforcer ….someone who will just sit in the middle of the pitch and be a presence that is not Max Bird ( no criticism of him ) 
good job we have Hourihane because I still think most teams in L1 would like him and he scored vital goals 

Interesting that Barks and Connor more or less said the same in the post match interview.  Will anything change though? Shan't hold my breath.  

Been watching the Rams since Brian was in charge, why is it we have to be 4 goals up before I can come out from behind the settee and enjoy it ! ?